A coepoeation



PATENTED FEB. 9; 1904.

G. B. MALTBY.

BRAKE BEAM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES N0 MODEL.

PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904.

G. B. MALTBY.

BRAKE BEAM. I APPLICATION TILED 11017.11. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

all/ 2i WITH ESSES UNITED STATES Patented February 9, 1904.

PATENT. OEEICE.

GEORGE E. INIALTBY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO CLEVELAND CARSPECIALTY COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

BRAKE-BEAM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,864, dated February9, 1904, Applieation filed November 11, 1903. Serial No. 180,662. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. HALTBY, of Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Brake-Beams, of which improvement the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a brake-beam which shall embodythe features of strength, lightness, simplicity, and inexpensiveness ofconstruction, capability of removal and replacement ofbrake-heads'withoutdisplacement of the connection of the compression andtension members, and utilization of parts which are reversiblethat is tosay, suited for either left or right hand connections, as desired.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a brake-beam,illustrating an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2, a side view, partlyin section, of the same; Fig. 3, an end View with a brake-head attached;Fig. A, a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, on the line 0e of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a view in elevation and on an enlarged scale of thestrut with the compression-member filler detached; Figs. 6, 7, and 8,transverse sections through the same on the lines a a, b 6, and c 0,respectively, of Fig. 5; Fig. 9, a longitudinal central section throughthe compression-member filler; Fig. 10, a transverse section through thesame on the line (Z (Z of Fig. 9; Fig. 11, a longitudinal sectionthrough one of the safety-chain and finger-guard castings on the line ff of Fig. 12, and Fig. 12 an end view in elevation of the same.

In the practice ofrny invention the compression member or body 1 of thebrake-beam is preferably, as shown, formed of stout sheetsteel or othermetal pressed or bent into U or channel section and is, as usual,slightly cambered or tapered from its central portion toward each of itsends. In order to impart greater vertical stiflness to the body, it ismade substantially wider at its central portion than at its ends-that isto say, the width of the U section gradually increases from each end ofthe body to the central portion thereof. Slots or openings ofsubstantially rectangular form are cut in the side walls of thecompression member adjacent to its ends for the reception oftension-member connectingblocks, hereinafter described. The tension ortruss member 2 is in this instance shown as formed of a metal bar ofsubstantially rectangular section, having rounded edges to be engaged byturned-over flanges on a strut, for which, if desired, a rod or rods maybe substituted, and is bent or cambered from its cen ter to its endportions, which are connected to the compression member, as hereinafterdescribed.

The strut or-king-post 3, which is interposed between the compressionand tension members at the middle of the beam,comprises three separatecastings-2 (2., a main body 3*, having the usual brake-lever eye 3 nearthe middle of its length and trunnions or cylindrical projections 3 3'which are of unequal diameters, on its ends, a compression-member filler3 fitting on the larger trunnion, and a tension member, bearing, or shoe3 fitting on the smaller trunnion. Elongated slots 3 are formed in thelarger trunnion 3 for the passage of a rivet 7, by which said trunnionand the surrounding compression-member filler 3 which fits within thecompression member, are secured to the latter. These flanges of thetension-member bearing 3 a re hammered down on the tension member, asshown in Fig. 4 and indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5.

The ends of the tension member2 are turned over into the form ofsubstantially rectangular eyes 2, which fit between the side flanges ofthe compression member at its ends and are connected thereto by beinghooked over tension-bar fastening-blocks 2", which are of rectangularform and are fitted and held in corresponding slots in the side flangesof the compression member, with the outer sides of which their ends areflush, as shown in Fig. 2.

The brake-heads 4 are fitted over the ends of the tension-barfastening-blocks 2 and the adjacent portions of the side flanges of thecompression member and are secured in position by rivets 5, passingthrough holes in the blocks 2 and in the brakeheads and headed over onthe latter. A strong and simple connection of the parts is therebyeffected, and it will be seen that when a brake-head is to be removed,as in the event of breakage or change of brake-heads being required, asfrom inside to outside hung brakes, or vice versa, this can readilybedone by removing the rivet without disconnecting the compression andtension members. It will also be apparent that the strut can be adjustedto vary the angle of the brake-lever when desired by turning its body 3to'the right or the left, as the conditions may require, within thelimit permitted by the length of the slots 3 in the longer trunnion ofthe body.

The safety-chain and finger-guard castings 9 are provided with taperingjaws 9, which fit over the compression member, and a front opening 9 forthe passage of the finger-guard 10. The safety-chain hooks 11 passthrough holes 99 in the jaws 9 and through the side flanges of thecompression member and are provided with collars 11, or, if preferred,shouldered down to form a bearing on one flange and slotted for a key 12or threaded to receive a nut, the fastening in either case bearing onthe other flange and holding the casting and hook in firm connection tothe com- --pression member.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In abrake-beam, the combination of a compression member of channel section,having rectangular openings in its side flanges adjacent to its ends,tension-bar fastening-blocks fitting in said openings, a tension memberhaving rectangular eyes at its ends which engage said fastening-blocks,and a strut interposed between the middle portions of the compressionand tension members.

2. In a brake-beam, the combination of a compression member of channelsection, having rectangular openings in its side flanges adacent to itsends, tension-bar fastening-blocks fitting in said openings, a tensionmember hav ing rectangular eyes at its ends which engage saidfastening-blocks, brake-heads fitting over the ends of saidfastening-blocks and the adjacent portions of the compression member,transverse connections passing through the fastening-blocks and thebrake-heads, and a strut interposed between the middle portions of thecompression and tension members.

3. In a brake-beam, the combination of a compression member, a tensionmember, a reversible strut interposed between the middle portions of thecompression and tension members and having end trunnions fittingbearings thereon, and a transverse connection passing through thecompression member and through elongated openings in the trunnionfitting therein.

4. A compression member for a brake-beam, composed of sheet or platemetal bent into channel section which gradually increases in width fromeach end of the compression member to the central portion thereof, andhaving rectangular slots in its side flanges adjacent to its ends, forthe reception of tension-bar fas tening-blocks.

5. A reversible strut for abrake-beam, having end trunnions forconnection with a compression member and a tension member, re-'spectively, and elongated transverse slots in the compression-membertrunnion for the passage of a connecting-rivet.

6. A safety-chain and finger-guard casting for a brake-beam, havingtapering jaws to fit over a compression member and a front opening forthe reception of a finger-guard.

GEORGE B. MALTBY.

WVitnesses:

M. MILLARD, W. S. BIDLE.

